Chapter Two

'Thoughts'

"Other Language"

"Speech"

~Line Break~

Something shifted in his eyes, small storms of sadness shifting into tempest of rage. His pale form, now emaciated, a hollow shell of what he once was, seemed to gain a newfound strength as he pulled on his bindings. The chains shook heavily, his nostrils flared and the trails left by his tears slowly faded in the heat of the deepest pit known to the world. The water floating through the air became heavier, each molecular sized drop weighing down like an anvil. Percy leaned forward, his face coming as close to the false Artemis as his chains would allow. She stood still and quiet as his eyes roamed over every inch of her.

"I've told you before you pint-sized volcano, the false escape attempts wont work on me. You even did a shoddy job impersonating her."

She tilted her head in confusion. "I had thought this form would calm you, though I did not change my eyes so that you would not think me to truly be Artemis."

The air around her shimmered, auburn hair in a fishtail braid darkened to a deep black, falling just to her shoulders. The tight, silver clothing of a member of the hunt was replaced with a long low cut dress, dark as night. There was no change in her skin, the pale as snow skin of Artemis was matched by the figure before him. The woman grew a few inches, her face becoming more regal, breathtakingly beautiful was the only word that could describe it. One pale hand reached forward, stopping just before his face as if she expected him to shy away, instead he looked to her in defiance and heavily veiled awe.

She moved her hand forward after a moment of searching his eyes, cupping his face. Waves of amber energy swirled form the point point of contact, twisting and turning around his body, wrapping and covering ever inch of him. Slowly his body began to fill out, muscle rippling below his naturally tan flesh. He filled out, becoming just as tone and fit as he had been on the day of his imprisonment. Something felt different, he felt stronger than before, stronger than he looked. There was an unnatural power building in his chest.

Next she pulled away, snapping her fingers as the chains dissolved into dust. "You are free Perseus, you may do as you wish, I will not bound you once more but should you refuse my gift then you will never escape this place." She watched as he rubbed his wrist, trying to remove the stiff feeling in his joints.

"And if I do, then what? You want me to kill the Gods for you? Maybe you are the creator, but there are good Gods and I wont kill them off for no reason. Besides, what could a demigod do that you, the all-powerful creator, could not?" He padded his pockets, searching for his faithful companion. It seems even riptide was stripped from him when he was banished from heaven and earth.

Black hair waved around like smoke in the wind as she lightly shook her head, a smile on her face. "Your dealings with deities has not been the best I see. No Perseus, I ask not that you destroy the Gods, simply that you conquer them. This world is blighted by hate and greed, the very principles that have stranded you in the bowels of my son, Tartarus." A soft giggle left her as he looked around him in disgust, realizing he was standing withing a physical manifestation of a primordial.

"All I require in return is your loyalty, the very reason I have chosen you for this positing. Be loyal to those you care for and this world, for you hold loyalty to all that is good in this world. Conquer this world Perseus, burn out the hate in the hearts of the wicked or burn out the wicked themselves. Do you accept my gift, child of the seas?"

Slowly and hesitantly he lowered himself to his knees, bowing before her as he would be forced to do before any other deity. His head hung low and his eyes locked to her feet. A finger placed below his chin forced him to meet her eyes as she crouched to meet his eyes, the smile on her face still standing. Slowly she guided him to his feet until they stood before one another.

"You need not bow before me, my champion. I must go Perseus, I am tired and my power is waning as I begin to slumber. I will watch over you as long as I can, but soon my eyes will close and I will be of no use until I once more awake."

Her form became that of black and silver dust, fading with an invisible wind. Some remained, wrapping around his body and stretching to form clothing. His jeans, now little more than tattered bits of fabric loosely hanging from him, slowly reformed. A pair of black converse formed on his naked feet, a dark sleeveless shirt reading Camp Chaos with a white infinity below it did the same around his chest. Around his neck grew a ebony strip of leather, an onyx stone the size of a quarter at its center, just between his pectorals. Stars and galaxies shone in it, moving as he moved so that it never showed the same place, as if it was a spyglass into the night sky.

In his right pocket fell a familiar weight, that of his constant and everlasting companion. It gave him comfort to once more feel the minuscule weight of the sword turned ballpoint pen. He reached into his pocket, sighing as his fingers slipped around his sword. He removed it, a pang of sadness shooting through him when he was met with a black pen with a red cap.

A soft snapping sound echoed around the small room as the cap fell to the floor. A medium length, hand-and-a-half xiphos, slightly longer than riptide was. The blade was a deep black, slight lines of crimson running through it. The crossguard, each of its ends folding back slightly to make small infinities on either side, and red leather wrapping around the hilt of the blade. He tossed it in his hands a few times, feeling the even weight of the blade. Words fell from his lips without meaning as he ran his fingers along the blade's length.

"Sorrow Song" As if sensing the intentions of its new master, the runes of the ancient Greek language glowed to life along the blade in its center. The voice of the creator echoed through his mind as the fiery runes faded to a simple white.

'The rasp of this blade will bring sorrow to all those that shall stand before it. The song of the damned, the wails of the forgotten, the moans of the defeated. Wield my gift Perseus, this blade holds a power unlike any other. Wield it well my champion.'

A smirk found its way to his face as the blade returned to its hidden form. This was going to be fun, looks like old gramps was about to enjoy some more bonding time with his favorite grandson. That Titan was going to regret the day he plucked a falling demigod from the skies of the pit. Percy raised one foot and with a strength not even he knew of he kicked in the metal door, sending it and the stone connected to its hinges flying across the hall beyond it. The cyclops that had apparently been guarding it lie crushed, a golden dust in his place and his loincloth left as a very disgusting, very smelly spoil of war.

"Wha?" One of the now visible, and countless number of monster guards vocalized as it dumbly looked to the crumpled metal of the door then to Percy and back again. Percy drew his blade once more, enjoying the feeling of the unknown metal in his hand more and more with every moment. The closest monster, a rather small Telekhine and the one that spoke eyed the blade before sighing and raising his spear and shield. "Well shit."

~Line Break~

Kronos's throne room was large, given that it was carved out of one of the mountains withing the depths of hell. Most of his first imprisonment had been spent waiting for what little followers he had in the pit to finish what was to be his fortress below the earth. Deep withing his castle, in the very center of the large mountain, that is the place where he had personally carved out his throne. Seven large pillars rand either side of the large room, a brazier at the base of each and his banner hanging from their tops. The black stones of the pit dulled the light from the fires, even still he could see perfectly in the dim room.

His knuckles glowed as he tightly clutched the arms of his throne, leaning forward slightly in anticipation. A power unlike any other, dwarfing his own with its intensity, formed and faded moments before in a room he knew well. Now he could feel it, the power of one of his own, the power of the seas raging as if Poseidon and Oceanus now stood together to free the interned demigod. Metal on metal, screams of rage and fear, crashing stone and splintering metal, the sounds of battle beyond what should be possible in his halls reached his ears.

With every yell the power grew closer, with every scream it burned brighter. He was Kronos, the most powerful of Titans, the King of his people. Armies had marched before him and friends had abandoned him, yet only now did he know fear. Whoever it was fighting withing the stone halls of his fortress was set to free the demigod, something he refused to allow. A light clatter could be heard as the Empousa beside him shook in her armor, her crimson eyes watching the large doors at the hall's end with trepidation.

The doors gave one great shudder, dust falling from it as it did so. Then another, this one much harder than the first. The Titan's fingers twitched, ready to summon his weapon at a moments notice. With a loud bang the doors swung open, smacking the wall either side before bouncing off and collapsing to the floor. A lone figure stepped through the portal, a figure he knew all too well.

"Heeerrreeees Percy!"

The demigod smirked as a growl of rage escaped the Titan who, thinking that some sea deity had stormed his home away from home, had been ready for a real fight. Now a demigod who had hardly defeated him at an eight of his power was standing before him. It was almost enough to make him laugh at his own fear, but now rage seeped its way through his immortal core. How dare a lowly demigod pound his way through the home of a king. Kronos stood, bits of stone flying from the walls, transforming into metal as it formed around him, creating classic and intricately carved armor. His power was not even at half, not that he would need more than an that to defeat such a puny foe.

"Aw, why the face gramps? I thought you'd be happy to see me." The son of Poseidon gave a mock frown, summoning his new blade and giving it a slight twirl. The Titan of time narrowed his eyes, a very familiar celestial bronze and tempered steel sword appearing between his fingers.

"Like it?" Kronos asked, following the gaze of his oh-so-loved grandson. "I was far from convinced that I should keep it, such a mortal weapon. Though I see now it will be given a second chance at destroying its greatest foe."

"Aw, you saved it just for me?" There was a dangerous whirlpool of fury hiding behind the sparkle of childlike innocence and playfulness that he always seemed to exude. He cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders, preparing for round two with the King of the Titans.

The stone around his neck cracked and from it flowed black and silver powder, the same that Lady Chaos herself had dissolved into. It flowed down his body, slowly solidifying into a heavy Greek armor made of an unknown silver metal, a classical spartan helmet with a black plume forming atop his head. Perfect symmetry and beautiful craftsmanship defined the armor, deep black engravings of grand battles flowing along its length. The only thing that seemed out of place was a small circle on his left gauntlet. With a sharp rasp the circle extended, a silver shield nearly identical to the one Tyson had given him extended into his hand, the only difference, the depictions were black and the center held an ebony infinity.

The surprised eyes of Kronos brought a smirk to his face. "Like it?" he asked, looking over his own armor through the gap in his helmet. "A present from my secret admirer." He winked. Gods please say that Chaos did not actually hear him say that.

"It matters little, I will slay you where you stand!" Kronos roared, racing forward with an astounding speed.

A angled slash came flying toward Percy's throat, the false form of Kronos's scythe a blur of silver and bronze. Sparks flew and a clang sounded as the blade met his new shield. A weapon fictionalized to be the most powerful weapon of the Titans met the gift from Chaos without so much as causing a scratch. A jab sent Percy backwards, jumping out of the way of the deadly tip. Another, this one sending him rolling to the side. Their blades met, Kronos leaning in to be only a few inches from Percy.

"Give in boy, I am older than the Gods themselves, son of Gaea, I am no longer bound by mortal form. You cannot beat me!"

Percy could feel it, the gradual slowing of the world around him, the very molecules of water in the air became torpid and slow. Thus was the power of a deity of Time, to slow the very air around them to make their enemies move at a snail's pace. Luke, or more precisely, the Titan before him possessing the body of Hermes's son, had used this very same tactic during the battle of Manhattan. That was then and this was now however, with no host holding back his true power Kronos was able to slow his opponent much more significantly.

Even with the influx of power he felt, the amazing strength he had been presented, he still could do little against the power of time. Despite this he still managed to block the blows of the Titan, whether by means of shield or with his own blade. Ever so slowly he was being pushed back, knowing well that should he not do something to turn the battle in his favor his freedom would be short lived.

He gathered the water in the air, an unnatural moisture with no beginnings nor end, simply there to make the pit humid and all the more unpleasurable, to anyone other than those bound to the sea that is. Slowly he brought it close to himself, its movements just as slowed as his own. Using what little concentration he could spare he used it like a bionic frame, pushing it forward to augment his own speed and strength. If Kronos was surprised he did not show it, only growling once more and fighting all the harder.

"My turn." Percy mumbled.

After nearly ten minutes of being constantly fought back, forced to block every blow with his shield, he was finally on par with his opponent. He pushed Kronos back toward his empty throne, raising a brow ever so slightly at the abandoned spear and shield beside it. Sparks flew as blades met, vertical slashes, quick rolls, stabs and back-steps, two warriors with unimaginable power duked it out in the pits of hell itself, to Percy it sounded pretty badass.

"I will not be beaten by you again!" The Titan brought the blade down vertically with all his might, his power flowing into the blade and giving it a bright glow. Percy raised his own sword and, trying to end the battle just the same, dropped to his knees and moved to impale his enemy as backbiter reached Kronos's center. There was a flash of light, when it cleared the battle was over.

Backbiter was split down its center, the two separate metals split by the black blade of sorrow song. Their tips just reached Percy's helmet, cutting two angled slashes, one shorter than the other, just over the right brow of his helm and coming down to its cheek, neither completely piercing the metal, only leaving slight gouges in it. The very end of his own blade now stood buried in the chest of Kronos.

"No..." The Titan mumbled, then slid back off the sword and fell to the ground, a strange energy leaving his body and flowing into the demigod that had defeated him. Percy could only look upon the battered and beaten form of the Titan King as his armor slowly dissolved back into the form of a pendant. He took a moment to look over his own body, just as many cuts all around it as Kronos held. He watched in awe as his blood began to change color, from a deep crimson to a vibrant gold.

'Hail Perseus, Titan of Time and Harvest.'

He looked to his own hands, staring at them in amazement, trying to process what this meant. He now understood his power, the gift he had accepted not an hour's half before this moment. His power was what all men wished for; to conquer and take. On the bright side this probably meant no more filthy loincloths as spoils of war, he chuckled to himself at the thought.

~Line Break~

Percy's armor, or at least how I imagined it. (It refused to allow me to insert a link so I must shamefully ask you google badass greek armor and it is the first image. (the one with the sideways plume))

Just replace the bronze with silver, the white with black, give him full toed foot armor (Don't know is that part is classified as part of the greaves or not so I just said foot armor), and replace the helmet. Yes I know it is called a Corinthian helmet, but if you google Corinthian helmet and spartan helmet you will see a slight difference. I pictured him with the spartan variant.